


LEVANTER {STRAY KIDS}

by toxic_social



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: AU, Almost no fluff, Angst, Astronaut, Bittersweet Ending, Double Knot, Lol sorry not sorry, Multiple Worlds, Not a Love Story, Poor Woojin, You'll have to find out, do they stay?, i love stray kids even if i torment them like this, i make the stray kids stay, levanter, levanter au, no regrets, pure angst, skz - Freeform, stray kids - Freeform, thrid moon, two moons, you make the stray kids stay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:15:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22929316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toxic_social/pseuds/toxic_social
Summary: Nine boys who have found themselves, must now find each other to escape their worlds, but at what costs? Lives will be lost if their selfish desires keep them apart.What Levanter could’ve been; a story the shouldn’t have been told.“I make the Stray Kids Stay”
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. PROLOGUE

Everyone knows the story about how Han Jisung locked himself in Hell; he condemned himself to a world of vast purple plains and red skies for what could be eternity out of self-hatred and a need for isolation. What he left behind was not a home; he never had one of those. What Jisung left behind was family.

Days in Hell were bleak, he couldn't lie, but it gave him another chance. A chance to restart with himself. 

Now, Han Jisung may have been lonely, but he was not alone. Clouds of pale lavender churned above the sky, making the heat from the dry winds breathable. The world was upside down, the tips of skyscrapers and tall buildings almost scraping the ground Jisung stood on. From what he knew, no one else walked the land, but that didn't make him the only being in this place.

Memories of himself and others who roamed different worlds infiltrated his mind and the plains, allowing him to see the pasts of these people. Of course, there was no one else in these dulled worlds other than his family. The one that he left behind.

Despite spending each somber day in Hell doing almost nothing, his mind raced.

_ I wonder… _

"... how's Jisung doing?"

Seungmin muttered unconsciously to himself with another sip of coffee, turning his attention back to the blueprints splayed in front of him. 

The assortment of elaborate twists and turns painted onto the maps were seemingly endless, confusing to every person who laid eyes on them, including the said boy. Although he had spent countless days trying to decipher any hidden meanings or messages, they were all lost in translation and had Seungmin stumped.

He often felt like giving up, losing to the mysteries District Nine held, but there was one thing keeping him going. 

The separation.

He had promised, before the nine of them were forced apart, that he would save the one stuck in Hell. 

It was his best friend, his first friend, yet one of the friends who left him behind.

But Seungmin knew, he could bring Jisung back. He had to.

_ I can… _

...NOT STAND THIS!"

Minho slammed his hands on the table, causing the only other figure in the room to jump. 

"This is unbearable," he growled, falling back into his chair. He wiped at his bloody cheek, the thick blood dripping down his wrist and penetrating the fabric of the chair seat. 

Wiping it away with the pad of his thumb he sighed, taking the swab of cotton the other was handing him. 

“We have to get out of here,” Minho groaned, leaned in head against the cold wood of the desk, desperately attempting to clear his mind. The room was silent. 

_ We could start with finding the others, _ he began, the hand on his cheek falling to his side once he realized what that would entail..

The blood dripped down once more, this time staining his cheeks and trailing down his chin like scarlet tears. 

It wouldn't take much time before real tears followed. Minho had always tried to stay steady, despite his clingy and needy personality. He was the third eldest of the group, at least when they were together. He had to be able to support both the elders and the younger ones by not breaking upon contact or showing off his insecurities. But this was all when they were still together. 

_ Where were they now? _

Hyunjin knew full well.

He let out a tormented scream, grateful no one could hear him. Once he had regained his composure, Hyunjin continued to search his world. What he searched for was not an item, nor a person. What he searched for was a glitch.

He knew a glitch before everyone left. The glitch he knew had a beautiful smile, with freckles that mirrored the night sky Hyunjin had created in his world. But his glitch was gone. Nothing could replace him, yet Hyunjin searched for a new one. The latest glitch he longed for would be nothing like the last glitch. It would be simple, inhumane, and impossible to love because love brought pain. There was no bliss; there were no happy endings in these worlds, which was why Hyunjin sought to make a new world. An escape.

The world he had made was mirrored by the misadventures he had suffered through with his past family. Neverending fields of yellow and a city above the clouds were built as if to humor the Hell they had tried to save Jisung from the first time he left. Hyunjin planned on adding in underground tunnels and warehouses to lead the ones he had lost home. But he knew this unnamed world would never be home. __

_ It would only ever be an escape. _

Changbin searched for an escape. Well, not exactly. In more refined words, he longed for an escape. Stuck in a world where he could leave, but was unable to, Changbin broke down for the third time that night. 

The pain built up in his chest, clouding his sight and bringing tears to his eyes, heavy sobs escaping his lips. But this was normal now. Changbin was used to the pain. He always had been. Since his childhood to the cursed period he lived in now, the pain had been a part of his life, shaping his entire being.

But, there was a time where Changbin didn't feel pain. A span of years, all spent in the company of his family.

His brothers, eight of them. None related by blood but bound by fate itself, meant to be together till the last second. 

But that time was only temporary. Now, one was dead, one was locked away, and the rest were separated by selfish desires.

Changbin was no different. He was just as selfish, just as weak, but just as hardworking. But contrary to the others, who still had a chance of finding each other, Changbin was alone. He was trapped in this world; what he called his Pace, knowing no matter how fast he ran, or how much he tried, he would never get out.

And as he cried, tracing his shaking fingers over the scars he'd induced upon himself over time; only then did Changbin start to give up.

_ There was no hope. _

There was hope, Chan knew it. There had to be. As he waited patiently for Hyunjin to emerge from his world, he buried his face in his hands, keeping himself from crying out. 

So much had happened over the separation; it was unbearable. Minho still visited from time to time, but each time covered in a new injury, and well, that was that. Minho and Hyunjin were the only ones he had so far. But this wouldn't ever stop Chan.

He wouldn't leave a single one behind. Even him. Who perished and was torn away into a land of six-feet under. 

Chan would save every single one of them, himself included. He had all the keys to escape, all but one. The last key, the one which would unlock the chain around his neck. It threatened him, as if promising to grow into a noose if the time came. But besides that, Chan knew there was something else.

He knew that this time, the key wouldn't just be anywhere, like in the lake of Hyunjin's world, nor by the feet of another waiting to be taken. This time, someone would have the key, a person would have their key. But what Chan knew best, was that whoever had the key to their escape was also the one keeping them trapped here.

He began to speak to himself; a habit he’d developed over the separation.

_ "We'll find a way. I'll…" _

"...make sure of that."

Felix's deep voice growled over the loudspeakers. He promised his rebellion that he'd lead them to escape. But Felix knew that his promise was not one to his resistance, but one to himself. Right? There had to be a way out.

He wouldn't be like Jisung and trap himself away forever. He wouldn't leave anyone behind as Chan had, he wouldn't die like…

As much as he made sure not to make the same mistakes they did, he didn't hate them for it. He couldn't. They were his family, and still would be if they ever met again. He had no reason to blame them for their mistakes, for they were all humane. They were all scared. And if Felix was honest, he was terrified too. 

He stepped off the podium, baby pink hair shining in the glow of the city lights, spine straight and confident until he made it into a private building. 

That's where Felix lost it. He gripped the roots of his hair as if to tear them out, sucking in frantic breaths as if his life depended on it. His vision went spotty, his chest heaving, each inhale like an intake of acid. He wished he would stop breathing.

But then his breath did stop, along with what seemed to be time itself. He froze, positioned weakly over the tiled floor, the only functioning thing in his body being his mind.

And slowly, as he regained his senses, Felix began to fall into despair. 

_ What do I do? _

"Kill them. I'm going to kill them all." 

Jeongin spat out his words like venom, shying away from the other’s grasp.

"Let me go hyung," he continued spitefully, rage swirling in his dark eyes. 

Woojin sighed, "Innie, please, calm down, breathe. Think about this logically."

"I am thinking logically hyung! I'm going to rip each one of them out of these worlds!"

Woojin sighed once again, gently reaching out back to soothingly run his hands through Jeongin's hair. Jeongin momentarily froze.

"You know," he said, his voice barely over a whisper, "And I know you remember this, but Channie would always do this to calm you down."

Jeongin snapped once again.

"He's going to die. They all are. Either by my hands, or something else."

Woojin pulled Jeongin into his lap, cradling the younger boy. Jeongin cut him off just as he opened his mouth to speak.

"You really can't change me hyung, plus, why should they live anyway? You're dead to them already."

"That may be so, Jeongin. But in the end, we are family."

Jeongin hissed, his smirk replaced with a creased frown.

_ "Not anymore." _


	2. I close my eyes

Hyunjin had been gone for too long. Chan paced the playground in wait, continually glancing at the white school bus parked at the base of the building. The playground took the place of a where a penthouse would usually stand on a tall building. The only thing that made it a "playground" was the merry-go-round and a stack of cages Hyunjin called a Jungle gym. Chan sighed, fighting all temptation to join Hyunjin in his world, he took a break from his pacing to sit on the merry-go-round. Playing with the necklace, the scent of steel etching itself on his fingers, a fingernail caught in the lock, and he ripped it away from the collar without any thought. The edge of the nail tore off, thankfully not drawing any blood.

Chan sighed, the wait for Hyunjin unbearable. He couldn't bear another separation. He knew that Hyunjin was just exploring his world for any irregularities that needed to be fixed. Still, only the thought of being alone pained Chan. It hurt him so much, like a never-ending pain way low in his abdomen where he couldn't reach. To Chan, it was like feeling the butterflies, except with this hot, unending anger and rage and pure, pure sadness mixed in. This horrible, disgusting feeling of torment and guilt that clouded every other sane part of his body was always there, threatening to burn him inside out if he ever lost his cool

He had learned to bury the feeling away, locking it up inside of himself and metaphorically swallowing the key as if in the promise of never letting it take control.

But now, as he was starting to lose hope, just as he'd lost his family, he was losing control as well.

He stood up again, letting go of the chain. The broken nail that was caught in the lock was brushed off, quietly falling to the floor. He put a foot over to cover it.

Chan pushed the merry-go-round gently, letting it turn once before stopping it with his foot. He did this again. Then again. And again and again for what could've been minutes before he heard footsteps.

He spun, relaxing once he saw Hyunjin emerge from the bus. Chan composed himself. He couldn't show he was worried, could he? It was out of the question. 

Once Hyunjin was close enough, Chan leaped up to embrace him. His lock hit Hyunjin straight on his chin.

"Ow, hyung-" he groaned, and though his tone was bright, he wasn't smiling, nor did he have his signature polished look in his eyes. Chan wasn't daft, he knew something was wrong, yet he chose to keep quiet.

"Did you find anything?"

"Not yet hyung, I made the world too big to cover in thirty minutes. I'll go back later."

Had Hyunjin really only been gone for thirty minutes? Chan felt like he was losing it. He fought the headache Hyunjin's words brought, forcing a tight smile.

"Alright, Jinnie, sounds good. Take care of yourself." He carded a hand through Hyunjin's hair, leaning forward a little because of how tall Hyunjin was. Hyunjin smiled, and oh, did Chan wish he could mirror it honestly.

Hyunjin rubbed his chin as if to brush off any remaining pain from the lock., and Chan didn't bother to apologize. He beckoned Hyunjin off to behind the Jungle gym, where they had stored enough food so that they wouldn't have to go inside till nightfall.

Staying in Hyunjin's world was highly unsafe, seeing as how the side effects of staying in too long were horrible. Since Chan was physically unable to claim a world for himself and was not stable enough to make a world like Hyunjin had, staying in the empty world they were in now was the only other option. Hyunjin didn't seem like he'd ever let go of Chan, despite the mistakes Chan had made. All of the other known worlds were closed off as well, making it impossible for anything else to be of matter. 

Chan took a piece of bread, slathering it with butter before passing it to Hyunjin. He took a large bite, crumbs falling into his lap. He looked up with a grin, wiping the sweat from his brow with his free hand, then pulling his bangs away from his eyes.

"So Channie-hyung, what should we name this world? We've been here long enough for us to name it, right?"

Chan was startled, covering it by rolling his eyes.

"Swallow your food before you speak, Jinnie. I can't claim a world," for an unknown reason, he wanted to add. "And you already have a world. You know what claiming a second means..."

Hyunjin caught onto the underlying message and went stiff for a second. The guilt built up in Chan again, and he forced himself not to fidget with the lock.

"I know hyung, but since it's empty, and the others all have worlds, why don't we just name this one? Plus, all the others have names for their worlds too."

He was right. Some had a given name, like Jisung's Hell, or Seungmin's District Nine. Others were named by the men who had claimed the world. Chan had heard that Felix had renamed his world after his rebellion, the Jungle. There was a bitter fear around that. Chan had given the original name to Felix's world, which was Miroh, but it started to creep in that Felix might not want them anymore. He might not want Chan anymore.

But that couldn't be, right? Because he was going to collect all nine, no, eight of them, and escape.

"Hyung?" Hyunjin spoke through another mouthful, and Chan offered him a weak smile.

"Sorry, Jinnie. There's a lot on my mind," wanting to satisfy Hyunjin in some way, he began to think about his request. "Names for this world? Well, how did we find this world?"

Hyunjin pursed his lips, brushing away any crumbs with the back of his hand. "You know the answer to that hyung," he giggled, "You found this world! You got really scared and startled Seungminnie so bad because you thought we were on one of the moons. It was so bare here, with the craters and everything, and we just happened to find the building!"

Chan smiled, recollecting the story. Seungmin had indeed been frightened of stepping foot on the 'moon.' They weren't actually on one of the moons, seeing as both the red and silver moons still hung in the chilly sky. Seungmin had refused to step through the doors to enter, not until Chan volunteered to go scout the world to make sure they weren't on a new planet. 

Chan began to wonder how Seungmin was doing. He had heard that he was still hiding in District Nine, along with all the bad memories and self-hate. If there was only a way he could help him.

"Hyung, you're drifting again," Hyunjin exclaimed with half a smile. 

Chan didn't apologize this time, still caught in thought about Hyunjin's name request. "What about Third Moon? We were like astronauts when we first came here, weren't we, thinking we landed on another planet?"

Hyunjin's eyes sparkled, but his smile gave something else away.

"Astronaut, hyung! I mean Third Moon is cool, and all but Astronaut sounds so much more, well, real. Can you imagine telling Minho-hyung when we visit him tomorrow that we were on Astronaut? He won't figure anything out until we tell him," he laughed, "I think he'd figure out Third Moon though. He'd know almost immediately. Don't you-"

"Astronaut sounds like a wonderful idea Hyunjin. Let's give it that name."

Hyunjin frowned at being cut off but didn't question it further. Chan thanked him quietly for that, taking a slice of bread for himself and slowly spreading on the butter. He hadn't lied when he said a lot was going on in his mind. 

"Hyunjin," Chan began, only continuing when Hyunjin gave him a nod. "Who should we try to bring back first?"

Hyunjin paused, but the short hesitation told a million stories to Chan. Maybe he wanted to save himself, or perhaps he had another plan in mind. And maybe, just perhaps, Hyunjin didn't want to leave. 

"Seungmin."

This didn't surprise Chan as much as he thought it would if he was honest. Seungmin and Hyunjin had always been rather...close. There was also a simplicity in bringing Seungmin back, which made Chan relax quite a bit. Seungmin visited this world, Astronaut, as he should be calling it, quite often in search of elevators. It sounded odd to Chan too at first. Still, after realizing that elevators were the devices that brought people to separate worlds, and were also what took Jisung away, Chan could only sympathize and help. 

He nodded along, wringing his hands instead of toying with his lock. "I think you should convince one of the others with Minho tomorrow, and I can go look for Seungmin."

Hyunjin nodded in thought, agreeing with a short while after. 

"That sounds good hyung. Are you done eating? Do you want to join me? I might go back to my world for a while to look for glitches now."

Chan stood up, his chain making a calming tinkling noise through the silence of the night. "Sure, Hyunjinnie. Let's keep it short though, I don't want to be in there for too long. Have you fixed the time problem yet?"One of the bugs in the world's codes was the time alteration, how a day in that world could be much longer in any other. 

Hyunjin nodded, looking quite proud of himself. "I have. We should be able to look around a bit with a time limit of thirty minutes, right? I'll set the timer to force quit us after exactly thirty."

Chan agreed, brushing off the crumbs that stuck to his pants, then doing the same to Hyunjin's. 

Hyunjin was quite a genius when it came to coding and programming, along with anything tech. It was a skill he had before entering the worlds and a skill that was only improved with time. Seeing when they had realized that they were trapped here, he only sought to find an escape, if not make one. Claiming a world he'd made himself was also a given, and Chan could only admire that. Claiming a world was a sense of safety for anyone who could. It meant a home away from home, an entire world for yourself, where the rules and boundaries were set by the man who claimed it. The process of claiming a world was quite simple as well, but painful. A willing sacrifice of a large amount of blood. Morbid in Chan's opinion, but it was the only way so far they had found to claim the world. There wasn't someone who guided them through worlds, nor someone who told them what to do or where they were or why. Every incident, every choice, was simply by luck. 

The place where the blood was spilled didn't matter, so long as they were the first person to do it. Seungmin had been the first to claim a world. He had gotten cut badly during their escape from District Nine, and as he laid on the floor recollecting his breath, he whispered out words Chan could never forget.

"I wish there was a home for me."

And as he bled out, the others trying frantically to save him, everything about Seungmin seemed to amplify. His beauty, his intellect, his weaknesses. The ground rumbled for the shortest second, then, everything was still. Still as it had always been. The only difference was that they were one step closer to an unknown goal.

"Let's go," Chan said, taking Hyunjin's hand to lead him down the stairs to where the bus was parked, inside which the headsets to Hyunjin's world lay.

They would take it step by step, so that one day, there would be a real home for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's funny how only hours later after posting people still found the fic- thank you for commenting and telling me how you feel! Honestly it was really amazing to see that, and I hope you keep reading and this doesn't disappoint! Comments and Kudos grandly appreciated!
> 
> ily-
> 
> -Toxic


	3. I see now

“You should go.”

He looked up at Minho, giving a half-hearted smile, “Sure hyung, should I go hide in the north end buildings again? They don’t usually go by there, and I trust you won’t lead them there either?”

Minho nodded, exhaustion settling in his eyes. The cut on his cheek had healed, but badly enough to make it purple and red with braises and bumps, making it look like a bruise rather than a cut.

“Yeah, I’ll make sure of that.” Minho paused cautiously, looking at him again. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard you call me hyung, Jeongin.”

Jeongin laughed, the sweet sound filling the dry and empty room. “I know. It’s been so long since I’ve called anyone that. I miss having hyungs.”

Minho couldn’t agree more.

He loved his hyungs, his elder brothers, the only two he had. His silence seemed to make Jeongin uncomfortable, so Minho began to speak up, but Jeongin cut him off once again.

“That was insensitive of me, sorry hyung. I know it’s been tough on you since Woojin died.”

Minho couldn’t help but notice how no honorifics followed Woojin’s name. But Jeongin was right. 

Things had been quite hard after Woojin’s departure. After Woojin’s death...everything spiraled downhill. Right before he died, they had pushed Jeongin away, losing their youngest member. Then Woojin died, and Felix ran away, Jisung and Seungmin following his path to lock themselves away in their own worlds. Changbin had been lost along the way as well, and Minho decided to go a separate way after that, leaving Chan and Hyunjin to take care of themselves.

He had to admit, it wasn’t his best decision, but what good would it do if he continued to sulk about past mistakes?

Minho had long ago decided to focus on the happier things, just to keep himself sane. Things like finding Jeongin again, and not him not hating Minho. Things like how he was still in contact with Chan and Hyunjin and saw them quite often, and things like how he knew for a fact that Seungmin was still alive. Because Minho now knew that sadness would only fuel his mistakes.

“Hurry now, Jeongin. They’ll be arriving soon.”

Jeongin nodded, sweeping back his hair with a hand, giving a curt bow, and scurrying out the door. Minho sighed once the younger exited the room, taking a long look at the mirror to make sure he had rid himself of anything unsettling, like the eye bags or the split lip he had gained over the past days. Thankfully it was all fading, which meant he’d be keeping Chan’s worries to a minimum. 

He rechecked his outfit, not pleased at all by how he looked. His dress shirt was ruined and red from bloodstains, his neck bruised from the constant hits he’d give himself. The soles of his shoes were beginning to fall off, and the tears in the leather of his trousers were becoming quite large.

“I need something new, please,” he mumbled quietly at the mirror.

Something thrummed underneath his skin, his vision blurring as it always would when he made a request. His head swam, and with everything was clear, it was the closet he saw behind him through the mirror that caught his eye.

When the closet that had always inhabited the ancient room seemed more eye-catching than usual, Minho knew that his request had been accepted.

Opening the dusty sliding door, the empty wardrobe now had a fresh pair of clothing, sleek black dress shoes sitting right near it. 

When someone claimed a world, it would only seem natural that whatever personal wish they made came true. Of course, as Minho had tested, not all things were possible. It wasn’t possible to un-claim a world, nor was it possible to leave the world to someone else. It wasn’t allowed that you’d wish for escape, or to wish or claim another world.

All of this was because of a simple being. She was what created the worlds, what kept them trapped here, but was also what kept them safe, the one who made sure everything that passed happened for a reason.

She was the one who had long before given them the name of Stray Kids, dubbing them this after their escape from District Nine. She was beautiful, indescribably so. She was Minho’s goddess, yet she was also the devil who kept him locked away. From what he knew, no one else knew of her. He knew they’d believe him if he told them that the one keeping them safe and caged really existed, but he kept quiet, holding her to himself.

She didn’t have a name. The first real words she’d spoken to Minho were irreplaceable, engraved into his mind. They were just as breathtaking and heartbreaking as she was.

“I make the Stray Kids stay.”

It would be an understatement to say Minho disliked her. He resented her with his entire being, for letting Woojin die, and for hurting him and cursing him every day. He hated every single thing she did, but he loved her for it as well.

She was perfect, he thought to himself, and he pulled on the new clothing she left behind. She knew just what he wanted, keeping him satisfied even though he was at the brink of death every day.

A choker sat beneath a thin long sleeve white shirt and black trousers. Minho smiled to himself, settling the wide-rimmed fabric over his neck. It covered the indents and bruises on his skin, and for the millionth time that day, he realized how privileged he was to have her on his side. Even if she was the reason he was here in the first place.

A knock on the door pulled Minho away from his thoughts.

“Minho-ah,” Chan’s voice floated out from behind the door, and Hyunjin’s followed quickly after. “Hyung! We’re here.” 

Minho put on a small smile, pulling down his sleeves over his palm, leaving only his fingers peeking out as he opened the door to welcome in the others.

Chan stood comfortably in slick dark jeans, a pink dress shirt tucked in, the sleeves and collars uncuffed. He hid a chuckle when he realized that Chan had buttoned the shirt clumsily, only randomly clasping the wrong buttons together to leave the ones at the top without a clasp. 

Hyunjin smiled cheekily as he reached out to grapple Minho in an embrace. The furs of the sky blue sweater Hyunjin wore on top of his white shirt burned against Minho’s nose as he hugged Hyunjin close. It seemed the creator of worlds wouldn’t have the men in her worlds go underdressed, giving each a pair of dress shirts in multi colors, all fitted with trousers of different patterns. 

Once Hyunjin finally pulled away, Minho automatically gravitated towards Chan, gently wrapping his hyung in a hug as well. Chan’s pocket jingled as the chain that hung out clashed between their legs, and Minho pulled away his smile widening.

“So hyung, and Hyunjinnie, what brings you to my humble world?”

Chan grimaced, inviting himself in and dragging Hyunjin along with a pinch on his sleeve. The eldest in the room settled on an armchair, and Hyunjin lingered Minho, hugging Minho’s arm. Hyunjin always had a tendency to be clingy, but Minho didn’t mind. He missed it if he was honest, and seeing how he barely saw Hyunjin anymore, any form of skin-ship was appreciated. 

“We’re going to bring everyone back.”

Minho shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was. It would’ve seemed to be a given since that had been Chan’s goal since the beginning of the separation. Minho just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

Minho shifted himself so that he was now sitting on his desk, Hyunjin settling next to him and propping his head on Minho’s shoulder. Chan smiled sadly at the sentiment.

“That sounds-” Minho inhaled sharply, emotion flooding his senses. “That sounds wonderful, hyung.”

Chan only nodded, his smile not diminishing as he leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling. Minho began to notice the bags under his eyes, almost laughing at the irony when he was reminded that Chan probably worried the same way about him.

“But,” he started again, and he felt Hyunjin’s gaze strain on him, “How are we going to do this?”

Chan leaned forward, tilting his head forward, carding a hand through his curls. His smile curved into a smirk that sent shivers down his spine, and Hyunjin giggled, feeling it as well.

“I’ll be going to meet Seungmin and drag Jisung out of Hell. The two of you will be looking for the others. Perhaps Jeongin might be a good idea?”

Hyunjin’s eyes darkened, and Minho tensed. He didn’t miss the gaze Hyunjin shot at the eldest, as if communicating in secret. He only hoped Hyunjin wasn’t questioning his apparent hesitation.

After a short silence, where Minho sat awkwardly, Hyunjin spoke up. “Hyung, don’t you think one of us should go with you?” 

Hyunjin was right, it would be safer if one of them went with him. Since Chan was incapable of claiming, the abilities that came along with a world were also banned for him. He hadn’t dared to question why the creator might have made Chan that way.

Hyunjin was a skilled engineer, having made a world for himself only to claim it afterward. Minho had been granted world-hopping, making it quite easy for him to jump from area to area. The setbacks made it quite tricky, seeing as they leave physical marks on his body, such as the cut on his cheek and the bruises on his neck. The ability had been useful before, but hopping to a world could only be done if it wasn’t claimed, or if the owner had given permission. 

Chan shook his head, reaching into his pocket to pull out the end of the chain that had been stuck in, revealing several keys. Each was a different shape and size, the colors varying between bronzes and silvers. They were elevator keys, each there to unlock something new. It seemed to be that the collection had grown since the last time Minho had seen it.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, if you two are going for Jeongin, it’ll be best if I don’t intervene.”

Minho got up before another harsh silence fell over, pulling out of Hyunjin’s grasp, smiling at the two.

“Let’s do what we can.”

Chan hummed in agreement, raising himself from the cushions as well. “Minho-ah, Perhaps get something to put on top? It’s getting quite chilly in the streets. Though I’m sure you keep your world nice and warm.”

Minho nodded in agreement, quite glad world-claimers had full power of what happened in their worlds. “Something warm, please. And something cute for the others,” he added at the end, giving a teasing wink at Chan. He chuckled, his eyes snapping to the closet before Minho’s did. Minho raised his eyebrows, startled to see that Chan had caught on faster than himself.

He wrenched the dusty doors open, smiling widely as he saw a cropped brown fur sweater that met his style. The sleeves were short, and he pulled it on, breathing in the musty scent. It smelled like what he imagined her to be like. A thin rope of leather and a white tie were also there, and Minho gingerly picked both up, beckoning Chan towards him. He bit the tie between his lips, tying a bow around Chan’s neck. “There hyung,” he said through his teeth, offering a kind smile. His eyes lingered on the lock and chain around the elder’s neck.

“Hyunjin, you’re next. Come here.” He double knotted it, but instead of fixing it right over his chest like a tie usually sat, he shifted it so that the knot was seated at the side of his neck, the tie falling over his shoulder.

“Thanks, hyung,” he said brightly, taking Minho’s hand. “Now, we can go save the others in style.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos ya'll! Hope this chapter was acceptable- more coming soon! Comments and Kudos appreciated!
> 
> ily-
> 
> -Toxic


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